Inhalant device



Nov. 18, 1941. B. BARON INHALANT DEVICE Filed May 24. 1940 ATTORNEY;

Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE] 2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in inhalant devices and more particularly to an improved conveniently portable inhalant device.

The present type of portable inhalant device usually comprises a hollow tubular casing for holding the inhalant or absorbent cotton impregnated with an inhalant material, said tubular casing having openings at each end thereof to allow a passage of air through the inhalant and into the nostril and a pair of screw caps fitting on each end of the casing for closing the openings in order to preserve the inhalant material when the inhalant device is not in use. The aforementioned type of inhaler presents several inconveniences which I have endeavored to overcome. In the first place, in order to use this type of inhaler, two caps must be unscrewed and then subsequently replaced. In the second place, the use of two hands is required when employing this type of inhaler.

Therefore, the main object of my invention is to provide a portable inhalant device which may be conveniently used.

Another object of my invention is to provide a portable inhalant device which requires only one simple operation to prepare the same for use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a portable inhalant device which may be conveniently opened by one simple operation and when released will automatically assume a closed position.

Another object of my invention is to provide a portable inhalant device which requires the use of only one hand to conveniently operate the same.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an inhalant device of the character described which is of simple, inexpensive and durable construction.

Features of the invention other than those adverted to will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

The accompanying drawing and descriptionillustrate a practical embodiment of my invention, but the construction therein described is to be understood as illustrative only and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of my device shown partially in section and in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, the device however being shown in open position.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view partially in section showing my device in closed position.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along line 4--4in Fig 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view along line 5-5 in Fig. 1. p

Fig. 6 is a sectional view along line 6-6 in Fig. 2. 1

Fig. '7 is a front elevational view of my device.

Referring to the drawing, my device consists of a hollow tubular casing I having a dome or bullet shaped top 2, said top having the opening 3 centrally formed therein. The casing may be made of any suitable material such as metal, hard rubber, plastic, etc. Positioned at the bottom endof the casing and fitting thereover is the removable cap 4 which hermetically seals the open end of said casing. The cap 4 is removably positioned in the casing 3 by either a frictional fit or by engaging threads formed in the outer faceof the casing and the inner face of the caps peripheral wall or by any other known means. The main purpose of the cap 4 is to permit access into the interior of the casing I, so that the inhalant may be inserted or old inhalant renewed or refreshed. In the present embodiment, I have shown an absorbent wad 5 impregnated with any desired volatile inhalant, and when the inhalant has completely evaporated or lost its medical properties, the cap 4 may be removed and the wad 5 resaturated or renewed. This medicant saturated wad 5 may be replaced by any type of solid or granulated volatile inhalant.

Means for allowing nasal access to the inhalant vapors and for subsequently hermetically sealing the device comprises the following:

Formed in the side wall of the casing I is the vertical slot 6. Slidably mounted within said casing I and having its outer face of the same contour as the upper inner face of the casing is the hook-shaped closure member I. Said closure member 1 is shaped from a strip of material and has a dome-shaped protuberance 8 formed in the top face of the horizontal projection 9 of said closure member 1, said protuberance being adapted to engage and efiectively seal the opening 3 of the casing I when the closure member assumes the closed position illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 7.

A finger piece In having the horizontal projection ll passing through the slot 6 and being slidably engaged therein is fixed to the vertical leg 12 of closure member 1 and possesses an outer serrated gripping face. In the vertical leg l2 of the closure member 1, at a point above the juncture of the horizontal projection ll of finger ing l by means of a rivet l5 has its free end pressing against the inner face of the protuberance 8 and keeps the closure member I in a closed position.

When the closure member 1 assumes the normally closed position as illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 7, the opening 3 in the casing I is sealed by the closure protuberance 8 and the vertical slot 6 is also effectively closed by the adjacent portion of the vertical leg 12.

Inemploying the inhalant device it is held in the hand, the thumb of said-hand pulls down finger member I0, thus forcing down closure member I and allowing access to the'inhalant vapors through the opening 3 and also allowing for an indraft of air through vertical slot 6 and opening l3 into the said casing, said slot 6 and opening l3 registering. By releasing the finger member 10 the closure member] springs back into closed position, thus protecting the inhalant material.

@I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, but numerous alterations and omissions may be made without departing from its spirit, For example, I have shown the casing member I of circular cross-section, butit is quite obvious that it may assume any desired or ornamental cross-section. Likewise the shape of the closure member I may be somewhat changed as maybe the type of resilient means l4 employed.

It should be further noted that while I have shown an intake opening 13 registering with the vertical slot 6 when the device is in open posi- 1. A device of the character described comprising a hollow casing adapted to contain an inhalant therein, said casing having an opening formed in the upper end thereof and a vertical slot in the side wall thereof, a closure member slidably mounted within said casing, said closure member comprising a vertical leg and a substantially horizontal arm projecting from the opening is adapted to register with said vertical slot when the closure member is in the open position and the opening in the top of the casing is disengaged. I 1

2. A device of the character described comprising a hollow casing adapted to contain an inhalant therein, said casing having an opening formed in the upper end thereof and a ver-' tical slot in the side wall thereof, a closure member slidab-ly mounted within said casing, said closure member comprising a vertical leg and a substantially horizontal arm projecting from the top of said vertical leg, said horizontal arm having a dome-shaped protuberance formed.

therein, said protuberance being adapted to engage and seal the opening formed in the top of :the casing, the vertical leg of said closure member abutting the inner face of the casing and sealing the vertical slotformed therein, a finger piece projecting from the closure member through the vertical slot formed in the casing, the said vertical leg having an opening formed therein which opening is adapted to register with said vertical slot when the closure member is in the open position and the opening in the top of the casing is disengaged, a resilientstrip having one end secured to the side wall of the casing and the free end pressing upwardly against the under-face of the horizontal arm of the closure'member whereby, said closure member is maintained in normally closed position.

BENEDICT BARON. 

